1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of computer systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to mechanisms in which are mounted disk drive units for use as desktop storage devices.
2. Background of the Invention
At the present time, price performance competition in the computer industry creates pressure on product designers to create lower cost systems which include added capability. Added capability is usually provided through faster processors, expanded memory capacity, and/or increased disk storage capacity, whereas reduced costs in these areas are typically provided through reduced manufacturing costs of these devices. However, additional cost reductions are sometimes also obtained through packaging efficiencies, wherein computer systems become more compact and the related system units become more densely packed with electronic devices. Moreover, computer users acceptance of the desktop workstation concept has added to the design pressures to produce smaller units which are less cumbersome for small work spaces. Having become accustomed to computer monitors and accessories with small footprints, customers are reluctant to accept new units with bigger footprints even though the new box might contain added capability.
In the prior art, disk drive units have normally been seated within a drive housing with secure connections at each side of the disk drive unit. This is because a disk drive unit, by virtue of the rotational pressures of the drive mechanism, normally creates vibrational forces in the plane of the disk when seated in the drive unit. This plane would be the horizontal plane when the disk drive unit is in the upright position. These vibrational forces are therefore normally dampened by securely fastening both sides of the drive unit to the housing or to the mounting structure. As a result, the need to fasten both sides of the drive unit normally requires enough room within the housing to fasten drive units stacked one on top of another, with room on both sides to insert fasteners (i.e. screws, bolts, connectors, etc.) to connect the drive unit to the holding structure. Other mounting schemes which have permitted two drives to be mounted side by side, include disk drive unit mounting mechanisms with slide-out arms to which the sides of a drive unit can be fastened, and the drive unit then inserted into the drive unit holder, with the slide-out arms of the second holder extracted and the second drive connected to the arms on each side of the drive and the second drive unit then inserted into the drive holder. This type of side-by-side arrangement requires enough space in the plane of the two drive units to accommodate the width of the two drive units, the width of the slide-out arms, connectors (i.e. screws, etc) on two sides of each drive, and on each side of each drive unit, the width of channel guides or other similar mechanisms in which the the slide-out arms would ride/travel. From an assembly time standpoint, this latter process requires time to fasten each side of each drive, slip them back in to the holding mechanism and lock each drive in place. Moreover, the disk drive housing mechanism must also normally have enough room to easily accommodate the related power units, cooling-fan and adequate room for the associated cables and cable connectors to be attached to the housing.
Today the pressure to produce computer monitor and accessory enclosures of small size and yet with added functions, which can be efficiently assembled, creates the need for innovative packaging and assembly concepts. The present invention is an apparatus and method for assembling a plurality of disk drive units into a single enclosure of minimal size, with minimal effort, thereby minimizing the packaging cost and module footprint size while meeting all required vibration standards.